The present invention relates to a reciprocating organizer glide system having a base frame slidably engaging a pair of support rails mounted to a generally flat support surface. A wire basket or other organizer is removably secured to the base frame. The glide system is designed so that flexing the leg members of the base frame creates a trussing effect between the base frame side runners and the channels of the support rails to control the sliding movement and reciprocation of the base frame and organizer within the support rails.
Conventional cabinets have relatively long shelves and/or drawers to hold objects for storage. Items placed at the back of the shelf or drawer are often difficult to reach. Sometimes items on the shelf must be removed to reach a particular item, or a drawer must be removed in order to remove the item. The reciprocating organizer glide system of the present invention provides a means to move containers or other such organizers closer to the user with a minimum of effort, and to hold the organizer at a desired location without the user having to engage any type of stop or latch means.
The shelving industry has for many years attempted to provide a solution to provide easier access for the user to hard to reach storage areas. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,458 shows a typical reciprocating tray unit having a wire basket mounted on loops which pass over and around the rails of a base to reciprocate thereon. U.S. Pat. No. 2,367,218 shows a wire basket frame adapted to rest in and slide along open ended L-shaped "angle iron" tracks. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 2,971,655 shows a conventional reciprocating tray formed of wire and adapted to slide in a guide via rollers. Yet another invention, U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,013 shows a support platform for a wire dish drainer having an extension leg member. However, none of these inventions incorporate the features of the organizer glide system of the instant invention to provide a simple means of controlled reciprocation of an organizer within a base.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reciprocating organizer glide system which eliminates rolling parts such as wheels and does not require additional mechanical assemblies such as bearings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a glide system having built in stop means which work in conjunction with stop means on the base frame to limit the movement of an organizer in the pulled-out open position, and in the pushed-in closed position.
It is yet another object of the reciprocating organizer glide system to design the glide system whereby the stop means permit the removal of the organizer units by simply lifting the organizer container upward and pulling the organizer forward toward the user. Furthermore, the glide system is designed so that the organizer units may installed within the glide system by simply inserting the leg members of the base frame within the glide system runners.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a base frame and support runners which can be manufactured from either metal or plastic and adapted for installation utilizing a base frame having either round or square tubing.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a glide system having a low profile in order to maximize usable space above the base frame, and provide a decorative appearance.
A further object of the present invention is to utilize support rails for the glide system which are symmetrical, having no left and right hand sides or front and back sides, in order to simplify installation of the runners within a drawer or upon some other flat surface by merely aligning the runners parallel to one another, and spaced the proper distance apart from one another.
Most important, the reciprocating organizer glide system of the present invention utilizes a novel means to control the sliding movement of the base frame holding the organizer within the support rails in order to create a trussing effect, so that the more downward weight is applied to the base frame, the more the base frame flexes within the support rails to control the sliding reciprocating movement and hold the organizer and base frame within the support rails.